Alanna and Gary?
by vt theta
Summary: On her 17th birthday, Alanna does run into someone in the garden... but it's not Jon this time. Chapter 6 and 7 Updated!!
1. Discovery

A/N: This story begins in the middle of In the Hand of the Goddess. This is my first fanfic, so please r/r!!  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot.  
  
  
  
Chapter 1: Discovery  
  
Alanna was enjoying her time at the palace these past 16 years, even though she was beginning to get restless. Curious about her womanhood, she'd already begun to visit Mistress Cooper to be fitted for dresses and visit the city to experience Corus from a woman's perspective. After Jon had kissed her at the Drell River, Alanna had begun to wonder what it would be like to be courted by one of the young knights at the palace. She knew this could never happen though – what would happen to her training?  
  
On her 17th birthday, Alanna was too tired to socialize. All she'd be treated to was a view of Jon dancing with that green-eyed flirt, Lady Delia, and she was in no mood to see her knight-master fawn over another lady. Thinking of Delia, Alanna pulled some clothing out of the locked trunk at the foot of her bed: a chemise, lace-trimmed stockings, a beautiful silk dress Mistress Cooper had fitted just that day, and the black wig she normally wore in public. Alanna hurried out of the room, grabbing a shawl on the way, before Faithful could convince her otherwise.  
  
Wandering through the palace gardens, Alanna felt bold and beautiful. 'Who cares if Jonathan is with Delia?' she thought. 'I don't care what they are doing, or where they are… or how beautiful she looks… or the look in his eyes. I don't care that he's telling her how wonderful she is and composing more poetry…' as she trailed off her thoughts. 'Of course I care. I am falling in love with Jon.' Losing her courage and afraid of running into the couple, Alanna began to go inside. As she walked back to the bench where she had left her shaw, someone was waiting for her.  
  
"Hullo," he said casually, holding the garment up. "I think this is yours."  
  
Alanna looked startled as she said, "Why thank you, Sir Gary." 


	2. Gary's Wondering

A/N: I apologize for this being so short! I hope to get on a roll here.  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.  
  
  
  
Chapter 2: Gary's Wondering  
  
"Why thank you, Sir Gary."  
  
Gary wondered who this young lady was, since he had never seen anyone quite like her before. With her striking purple eyes, he reminded her of Squire Alan, but he didn't think that the boy had an older sister, since he only mentioned his twin brother Thom. Gary couldn't take her eyes off the beauty as he stammered, "I… I didn't want you to get cold, gentle lady."  
  
Alanna blushed and replied, "Again, thank you. And I must be going now." She began to turn away, quite flustered and nervous after running into Gary. As she turned, Gary touched her shoulder.  
  
"You, you look like someone I recognize, but I just can't place you. Are you new here? Would you like to dance?" Gary rushed his questions out, not exactly sure to approach this woman who didn't act like the rest of the court beauties.  
  
Turning away again, she started to walk away, saying, "I'd really love to join you, but I must be going now. I'll talk to you later, Gary." Alanna heard the casual tone of her greeting to Gary and cursed inwardly. 'Hopefully he'll just think I'm some back-country noble who doesn't know how to act at Court, and he'll forget that he ever met me.' As she stumbled over her leather shoes trying to hurry back to the palace, Gary let out a deep sigh. Stroking his moustache in thought, Gary slowly walked back inside, watching the retreating form of the strange new courtier. 'Who is she?' Gary thought.  
  
The next morning, he and his other knight friends, Raoul of Goldenlake and Prince Jonathan, had breakfast after a morning practice session. Jon and Gary both seemed a little distracted, and Raoul wasted no time commenting on the moods of his two friends. "So, Jon… have fun with Delia last night?" Raoul teased.  
  
Laughing, Jon rolled his eyes at the larger knight. "Delia and I always have fun together. Sometimes, though, I'm not sure she's the one I'm looking for. She's beautiful but…" Jon trailed off, looking at his quiet friend. "Gary, who are you mooning over this morning? A new lady perhaps?"  
  
Not replying with his usual sarcasm, Gary just sighed, "She's beautiful, she's unreal, and I have no idea who she is."  
  
"No idea?" countered Raoul. "Is she a court lady, or a servant, or a student?"  
  
"I have no idea. I saw her out in the palace gardens, walking by herself. I stood next to her cloak lying on the bench, hoping to talk to her when she returned to go back inside. I told her she looked familiar and asked her to dance, but she just ran off."  
  
"Are there any new ladies at the palace?" Raoul asked Jon.  
  
"I really don't think so, unless the convent sent new ladies last night. I really don't think that someone new to the palace would be walking in the gardens by herself at night. Gary, what did this girl look like?" Jon asked.  
  
"Well, she was wearing a violet dress, to match her eyes. Purple eyes are so uncommon, but I guess I'm just used to seeing them on Squire Alan. She looked a little like Alan too, which is why she looked familiar, but this girl had curly black hair. And I never remembered Alan mentioning a sister in the family, so I'm not sure who she is." Gary sat back in his chair, remembering all the details of the girl he'd met the night before.  
  
Jon, remembering how Alanna had been dressing like a girl lately, thought quietly about the possibility that Gary's dream girl could actually be Squire Alan. Deciding to find out for himself, he said, "I'll go ask my mother about the new ladies who are in the palace tonight. I'll get back to you when I know more." 


	3. Alanna and Jon

A/N: Thanks to the people that reviewed the first two chapters. Hope you like this installment… any ideas on how the story should go?  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.  
  
  
  
Chapter 3: Alanna and Jon  
  
Jon found Alanna back in their suite of rooms, changed after her morning practice.  
  
"Jon, is everything ok? You look like you ran here," Alanna laughed, wondering what would bring her knight-master back so quickly after breakfast with Gary and Raoul. She had been taking her time getting ready this morning, unsure how to act normal around the trio today.  
  
"Well, what happened at breakfast was what I needed to talk to you about. What were you doing last night?" Jon demanded.  
  
"I was just walking around!" Alanna retorted, knowing what was making her friend so angry. "That's alright, walking around while you go court your lady?"  
  
Suspicious of her temper, Jon shot back, "So you weren't out in the gardens last night? Because someone, with black hair and purple eyes, was out there last night. All Gary can do this morning is wonder about the identity of the new girl at Court who looks a little bit like Squire Alan."  
  
Having the effect that Jon wanted, Alanna's eyes grew wide. Stammering, she managed to spit out, "I wasn't near the gardens. And even if I were, I would never have talked to Gary. I can't let anyone else know about me being a girl. Gary would never be interested in me anyways!"  
  
Seeing the look and surprise in her eyes, Jon's voice calmed. "Alanna, you are beautiful. You know I think that."  
  
"Then why were you with Delia last night instead of me?"  
  
"Don't forget, Alanna, that everyone else but me in this palace thinks that you are a boy. I can't just go around showing everyone my feelings for you –"  
  
"You have feelings for me? Then why didn't you show them before Sir Gary took an interest in the 'mystery woman'?"  
  
"Alanna! I'm your knight-master. You are my squire! You know just as well as I do what could happen if someone else found out what happened between us at the river. And I could never do that to you – I'm supposed to teach you, not love you…" Jon trailed off.  
  
"You… you love me?" Alanna asked, pain clearly showing in her eyes.  
  
"Can I show you?" Jon questioned, as he moved closer to her, putting her lips on hers.  
  
Alanna moved towards her friend as Jon began to deepen the kiss. 'This is what I've wanted since the night at the river…isn't it?' Alanna thought. Then, suddenly, Alanna broke away from Jon.  
  
"What? Isn't this what you wanted? I thought you wanted to be with me!" asked Jon, his voice trembling.  
  
Alanna softly replied, "I thought it was. I'm sorry Jon, but I really don't know what's going on with us, with me. Please let me be for a while… I just need to figure some of this all out."  
  
Getting frustrated, Jon asked, "Does this have to do with Gary? I know that you are the one he ran into last night."  
  
Alanna threw up her hands, upset at the whole conversation. She began to pace around the room, thinking about how to explain this to Jon. "This is pretty frustrating to understand myself. You kissed me during the war, and I enjoyed being with you. But seeing you go from kissing Delia to me in the space of a morning, only after you found out one of your best friends is trying to figure out who I am… It makes me feel like I'm only a girl to you when someone else notices."  
  
Jon replied, "I hope that I can change your mind. In the meantime, what are you going to do about Cousin Gary? Are you going to tell him who you are?"  
  
"I don't know. Just keep it a secret until I figure out what I am going to tell him." 


	4. Thinking Things Through

A/N: Thank you for all the reviews! Just to let you know… as much as I love Alanna and love Jon as characters, I don't really know how I like them together (re: scenes from The Woman Who Rides Like a Man). Since this is my first fic, I really appreciate the reviews!!  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.  
  
Chapter 4: Thinking things through  
  
Upset about the complications with Jon, Alanna decided to go visit George. She and Faithful headed down to the stable, saddled Moonlight, and headed out to the city. Riding slowly, Alanna wondered about Jon's actions and why he had suddenly decided to show his feelings to her. She shook her head to clear her thoughts as she approached the city and trotted over to the Dancing Dove, the 'court' of the Rogue.  
  
Walking in, Alanna spotted old Solom. "Have you seen George?" she yelled.  
  
"Aye, the master be up in his rooms chattin' with Rispah. Do you want a bite to eat and wait, or are ye headed up?"  
  
"I really do need to speak to him, so I'll go on up. Thanks."  
  
"As ye wish." Solom turned to another man waiting at the bar and poured the man a tankard of ale.  
  
Alanna turned to head up the stairs only to see George and Rispah laughing as they left George's chambers. The chesty redhead spotted the youngster and elbowed her cousin. "George… I think ye've got a visitor," winking at the man while making Alanna blush. "I'll leave you two alone to talk."  
  
"So, Alan… what business brings ye here today? More annoyances at Court, with the 'mystery lady'?" George grinned as his companion sighed.  
  
"George, can we go upstairs and talk? I've got a lot on my mind."  
  
Seeing the look of disturbance on Alanna's face, George replied, "Alright, we'll go upstairs. Solom!" George caught the innkeeper's eye. "We aren't to be disturbed upstairs."  
  
"Aye, Majesty."  
  
Once Alanna and George reached the upstairs chambers, George asked, "What were you doin', walkin' around the palace as a girl! You know you could have been exposed."  
  
"I know, I know," Alanna replied ruefully. "If I had stayed in on my birthday, none of this would have ever happened. But, I was thinking of Jonathan and Delia together, wondering if I could ever have that same happiness of being courted.'  
  
"So, this has to do with Jon. Alanna, I know how you feel about the prince. And I know he loves you too, otherwise he wouldn't look at you the way he does. So what's really on your mind?"  
  
"Well, on that night, I ran into Gary while I was dressed as a lady. I had a black wig on, so he didn't recognize me, but apparently, Gary is smitten with the lady he met." George nodded, having already heard the story from Stefan. Continuing, Alanna said, "The next day, when Jon heard about Gary meeting me, he immediately confronted me. He told me he loved me, and then he kissed me." Alanna looked up at George and immediately saw him flinch just a bit.  
  
George then, afraid of what she might say, asked, "And what next?"  
  
Alanna hesitated. "Then I pulled away, breaking off the kiss."  
  
"You mean you pulled away from Jon?"  
  
"Yes! I have no idea why. This isn't the first time he's kissed me, but I'm not sure that I love Jon like that. Him kissing me, just after I met Gary, seems almost… well, it seems almost selfish! I know he and Gary squabbled over squires, and Jon got to choose first because he is the prince. Now, I know Jon loves me, but I don't think he would have taken such a drastic step if it wasn't for Gary."  
  
"Well, youngling, Jon normally does get what he wants. You two share a bond like very few others; he is your knight-master and is one of the few to know the truth about you. I am sure he does truly love you and is curious about where this could lead. What do you want from him?"  
  
"I don't know… I honestly don't think I want to complicate our friendship with becoming lovers. I care for him, but I can't stand to rush into anything that might jeopardize our friendship."  
  
George relaxed, and said, "I think that's probably the best choice. You can always change no to yes, but it is very hard to change yes to no. I would work things out with Gary first. By the way, Gary doesn't know who the mystery lady is, does he?"  
  
"No, Gary hasn't found out, and Jon is sworn to secrecy. That's the last remaining problem – how do I tell Gary? Should I tell Gary?"  
  
"If you feel something real for the knight, you need to tell him. And you should tell him yourself. That's my advice."  
  
Alanna sighed, "Yes, I suppose I do need to tell Gary myself. I wish I didn't have to – it would be so much easier!"  
  
"Yes, but it will mean so much more coming from you," reminded George.  
  
  
  
As Alanna was heading back up to her rooms from the stables, she ran into Gary, who was headed out for an afternoon ride. "Alan, I'm so glad I ran into you! I need to talk to you for a second."  
  
Unsure, Alanna asked, "Gary, what's the matter?"  
  
Excitedly, Gary asked, "Do you have any sisters? Are there any Trebond ladies in the family? Do you know any other ladies with purple eyes, but with black hair?"  
  
"Yes, there are some ladies from Trebond, with dark-blue or purplish eyes. They have brown hair, however, not black. Why?" Alanna replied innocently.  
  
Looking at her friend curiously, Alanna noticed that Gary was absolutely star-struck. She'd never seen him with such a glow, even when Delia came to Court. Notorious among the squires for falling head over heels for any new lady at a ball, Alanna wondered what was different about this new 'lady' that Gary had met.  
  
"Oh, Jon didn't tell you? I met a very curious woman last night in the gardens. Striking purple eyes – like yours, which is why I thought she might be from your home – a friendly face, and just amazing."  
  
"Gary, just out of curiosity, what makes this woman different from the rest of the ladies at Court? I mean, I know you fell hard for Delia and for Lady Cythera."  
  
Gazing into the distance, Gary said, "She just seemed so real. She was flustered when I asked her to dance, instead of possessing all the confidence of the normal courtiers. I just want to meet her again, to talk to her." Glancing at the younger boy, Gary sheepishly remarked, "I know how you of all people wants to hear me talk about some lady. You'll find your match someday though."  
  
Alanna said, "I hope I do. And I hope this woman turns out to be your match."  
  
A/N: Please review! I've got the next part of the plot already thought out… the more you review, the quicker I get the next part updated! 


	5. Out in Public

A/N: It's been a while since I updated (I've been exhausted lately and usually do my best writing at night). Thanks for all the reviews, especially the people that are repeat reviewers! I am really glad that you all like the way the story is going! I hope this next installment is up to par!  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.  
  
  
  
Chapter 5: Out in Public  
  
Alanna rushed around her room, throwing dresses onto her bed that already added to the mess strewn about her quarters. Faithful just watched his mistress in amusement, as the fiery redhead's complexion became the color of her hair. Stomping around, furious, she even threw a dress at the cat.  
  
"Why am I even going to this party? It's not mandatory for the squires – I don't even know if all the knights are going to be there! This is madness!"  
  
Faithful chimed in, 'You know why you are going to this party. It's a summertime party thrown by Jon, so it won't be too formal. You want to watch Jon and hope he doesn't flirt with Delia. And you want all the knights, especially one knight in particular, to notice you.'  
  
Throwing a shoe at the cat, Alanna exclaimed, "Who am I supposedly trying to impress? I don't want Jon anymore – Delia can have him. I don't even know what I am so worked up about!"  
  
'You want Sir Gary to notice you.'  
  
"What? You are crazy – what nonsense is the Goddess feeding you now?"  
  
'Of course you do. You told me what Gary said in the stables the other day. You want to know if Gary is as attracted to you as he claims, before you reveal yourself to him.'  
  
"Well… what is wrong with that? Gary has always been so great to me: he was my sponsor, kept me awake in class, and has been just such a good friend. I don't want to lose that."  
  
'You think Gary is going to stop being your friend just because you are female? I personally think he'd find it funny, and it would certainly help him figure out all the loose ends of the situation.'  
  
"I guess we'll find out now if Gary does want to be with me. And I need help – which dress? Pale blue or emerald green?"  
  
'Pale blue. You don't want to look too much like Delia.' Alanna could see the twinkle in her pet's eyes.  
  
  
  
Once dressed, Alanna did her hair and makeup. Even as unskilled as she was at these feminine tasks, she managed to look brilliant. With the pale, ice blue dress, she had accented her violet eyes with shimmery eye makeup. Since she needed to stay in disguise, she again wore her black wig but had re-curled it so that the curls fell softly over her shoulders. Sliding into pale blue slippers, Alanna turned to look at herself in the mirror. 'I hope they all notice me. I hope Gary notices me. I even want Jon to notice me. I just don't want them to look beyond the dress and see Squire Alan.' Double-checking her appearance with Faithful, Alanna softly closed the door and walked to the ballroom.  
  
Already in the ballroom, Jon, Gary, Raoul and their squires watched the ladies dancing on the floor. Jon, oddly enough, was not dancing with Delia, as the green-eyed lady had found another knight to spend her evening with. Raoul, as he hated social events, had a wineglass in his hand while he discussed the merits of longbows versus crossbows with his and Gary's squires. Both friends looked at each other momentarily as they heard Gary draw in a sharp breath.  
  
"Gary, what is it? Is everything alright?"  
  
"She's here," Gary breathed. "I had no idea if she would be coming tonight."  
  
"Wow," Raoul commented while the squires jokingly whistled at the figure in pale-blue that had just entered the room. "My friend, I never knew you had such good taste."  
  
"Jon, do you recognize her? Is she a new courtier or something?"  
  
Trying to hide the smile on his face, Jon replied, "Gary, I'm sure she'll have more to talk about than one of the regular ladies, as I've never seen her in the palace before."  
  
Raoul nudged his frozen friend. "Go talk to her. Take her for a walk or something if she wants to go outside."  
  
Taking that advice, Gary stiffly walked over to Alanna. "Good evening miss," Gary stammered as he raised Alanna's hand to his lips.  
  
Alanna, trying not to blush, replied, "Sir Gary, I was hoping to run into you tonight. I am now glad I came to this party."  
  
"Um, would you like to dance? Or take a walk?" Alanna smiled as she heard her friend sound so unsure; she knew he was never this tongue-tied with his other pursuits.  
  
"A walk would be very pleasant, as you do know that I enjoy the palace gardens."  
  
Reminded of the first time he had seen Alanna, Gary also smiled. "Yes, I think a walk would be nice." Taking Alanna's arm in his, the pair exited the ballroom with Jon and Raoul looking on in amusement.  
  
Raoul leaned over to Jon. "What is it about this girl that you aren't telling me?"  
  
"You'll find out soon enough… Gary just needs to find out first."  
  
  
  
Gary and Alanna walked slowly through the gardens, each silent in his or her own thoughts. While Gary was trying to speak a coherent sentence without boring his companion, Alanna was trying to think of a safe topic to discuss without revealing her knowledge of knight training.  
  
Gary blurted out, "So what do you think of the palace?"  
  
Relaxing, glad he had found a safe topic, Alanna replied, "I love the palace so far. I feel like I really know my way around."  
  
"Really? After such a short time here? Most people find this place a labyrinth for at least a month or so. Have you seen much in the city already?"  
  
"Corus is always fun to visit. I think some of the shops and eateries are so unique here, especially the Dancing Dove." Alanna grimaced as she mentioned George's 'court' bar.  
  
"You visited the Dancing Dove? Amazing – I would have thought you would have stayed out of those areas in the Lower City. Let me guess… you also love to fight and wish you could have become a knight, right?" Gary remarked with a twinkle in his eye.  
  
"I've studied the fighting arts back at my convent," Alanna lied, hoping her story seemed plausible. "I've been told that I'm a fair hand with the sword. I had a lot of training with archery back home."  
  
"Speaking of home, milady, which fief do you call home? You already know where I hail from."  
  
"Um…" Alanna had to think quickly on her feet. "I'm from… Tusaine, not Tortall."  
  
"Tusaine? I thought they formally introduced all visiting courtiers."  
  
"I'm from… Melor. Knowing this realm's past history with Dain, I did not want to cause a stir." Alanna breathed a sigh of relief, as Gary seemed to accept her story.  
  
"Well, miss, it seems we have reached the end of our walk," Gary said as the pair arrived back at the palace. "Thank you for spending your evening with me."  
  
"I really enjoyed myself. I didn't know a knight from Tortall could be quite so friendly." Alanna beamed at Gary.  
  
Leaning down, Gary tilted up Alanna's face toward his. Gently touching his lips to hers, Alanna felt a jolt of energy as her friend kissed her. Unconsciously, she returned the kiss. As the two broke apart, Gary smiled down at Alanna. "I do hope that I will see you again soon."  
  
"As you wish, Sir." Alanna turned and walked back to her rooms in the palace. 


	6. Breakfast

Author's Note: I'm home on break and decided to update. it's been a while since I thought about this story. I apologize if it's rusty. hope you all enjoy the update!  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot!  
  
Chapter 6: Jealousy  
  
"I do hope that I will see you again soon."  
  
As Alanna walked back to her rooms, floating along like in a dream, she heard Gary's words over and over. 'I can't believe he wants to see me -*me* of all people. I've only been a lady for, by my counts, a few months. And he wants to see me again.' Giddily, she hurried down the hallway to her and Jon's rooms to escape notice from anyone else.  
  
"Faithful, you'll never guess what happened!"  
  
'Gary is stunned by your beauty, and now you are faced with the choice between your knight-master, his best friend, and the King of Thieves.'  
  
Alanna stopped short. In all her recent fantasies about Gary whisking her off her feet, she had forgotten the bond between Gary and the prince. Knowing Jon, he wasn't about to let his best friend win anything, and Gary would stop at nothing to wrangle a woman away from Jon. The rivalry was just there; between the two privileged sons of Conté and Naxen, there was very little uncontested.  
  
And she hadn't even thought about George.  
  
"Faithful. what should I do? You know what will happen if Jon finds out what happened between Gary and I tonight. And I don't want to drag George through this, not when. when things haven't been the same since the night I left for Tusaine."  
  
'Does Gary know who you are yet?'  
  
"No, I really don't think so, not yet. He stumbled too much over his words for him to realize he was actually speaking to me."  
  
'Do you plan on telling Gary? This could blow up in your face if you don't tell him.'  
  
"This could go all wrong if I do tell him!" Alanna cried. "Will Gary still like me, once he knows that I'm a girl trying to hide my identity? He would have been someone who needed to find out I was female before I earn my shield, but this complicates things. I don't want to wreck his relationship with Jon either."  
  
'I would sleep on it tonight,' Faithful advised. 'See the attitude tomorrow between your knights. Jon can probably guess what's happening between you and Gary. Knowing your prince, he won't make his feelings quiet.'  
  
  
  
The next morning, Alanna avoided Jon in their suites and met him, Gary, and Raoul for breakfast. Alex had also joined them for a change.  
  
"Alex, it's quite a surprise to see you here. Not off with the Duke?" Alanna asked innocently, still not sure of the cat-like knight.  
  
"Actually, I've heard that some new ladies have arrived at the castle. Since it's social season, Roger decided to give me some free time before I become too entangled in the winter business." Alex gazed coolly at her only to find her shooting an icy stare of her own towards Jon.  
  
"New ladies is right," chuckled Raoul. "You should see the new one Gary's taken up with."  
  
Gary blushed, along with Alanna. "I've only met her twice. I don't even know what she thinks of me at all."  
  
Jon snapped, "I'm sure your new lady friend appreciates you, as I haven't seen her with any other knights in the palace."  
  
Noticing Jon's tone, Alanna asked, "Is there something wrong with the lady Gary's seeing?"  
  
Jon shot Alanna a look. "I know you hate the social scene, but it's easy to tell when a woman is hiding something."  
  
"Jon! What is wrong with you! She's the woman Gary would like to court! Give him some credit!" Raoul glanced between the prince and Gary.  
  
Alanna feigned a look of confusion while trying to disguise her anger. 'What in Mithros's name was Jon trying to pull here? Was he trying to get Gary to back off? For what?'  
  
"Well, sorry to leave at such a high point in the conversation, but I have my squire lessons to attend to." Alanna got up from the table and scurried out of the room before any of the knights could say a word.  
  
Gary asked, "Why is he so jumpy about this? It's not like he knows this girl, I asked him the other day. This woman is from Melor, in Tusaine."  
  
"Tusaine?" Jon's voice cracked as he got the word out. "Gary, I think you've got a lot more to learn about this woman before you decide what she's about." Jon followed his squire out of the room.  
  
Alex looked at the two confused knights. "From what Jon said, I think he knows exactly who this woman is. I'd find out if I were you."  
  
  
  
Gary followed Jon back to his rooms. As Gary approached, he heard Jon scream.  
  
"Alanna! Where are you - we need to talk!"  
  
Puzzled, Gary thought, 'who's Alanna?' 


	7. Conte Pride

Author's Note: Two chapters in a night! Ya'll are lucky!  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot!  
  
Chapter 7: Conté Pride  
  
Jon was waiting for Alanna when she returned home from lessons.  
  
"What in Mithros' name are you doing with Gary! He doesn't know who you are!" Jon screamed at Alanna.  
  
Startled, Alanna snapped back, "Why can't I be with Gary, why not? Oh, cause he's not you? You have no claim on me or my heart - you proved that once you got involved with the emerald-eyed snake!"  
  
Jon looked more angry than hurt at Alanna's words. "Delia? You're bringing her into this? Is this what Gary is to you, a ploy to make me jealous?"  
  
"I don't want to make you jealous Jon! You have any woman you want wrapped around your finger, including Delia. Why does it shock you when finally someone notices me as a woman! You certainly don't treat me as if you care for me except when it's convenient for you."  
  
"Alanna, you are posing as a man! It's not like I can court you openly and in public - the only time we are alone is when, well, we are alone in our rooms! Now, I can show you what it's like to be a woman here, but I don't know if I even want that anymore."  
  
"You. you wanted that once?" Alanna looked surprised; as much as she'd loved Jon, she never had imagined that their relationship would ever truly move past knight-master and squire.  
  
"Of course I did. Why did I kiss you at the River Drell? Why did I kiss you a few days ago? What would have happened if I'd found you walking in the gardens on your birthday? Now that Gary's thrown in the mix, I don't know what I'm supposed to do anymore."  
  
"Gary recognizes me as a woman. You don't even recognize that I have a chest when you've seen it first hand before!"  
  
Jon threw up his hands and stomped over to the fiery redhead. "Alanna - what do you want me to do! This?" And he leaned down and kissed her fiercely. And kept kissing.  
  
  
  
Breathless, Alanna broke away from Jon. "I don't know if I can handle this right now. there's too much going on. I need to know what to do about Gary."  
  
Jon stared down at her. "I hope you are going to turn him down."  
  
Alanna softly replied, "Jon, I don't know. You know I will always love you.. but I have to see what he thinks when he finds out who I am."  
  
  
  
  
  
Jon went back to his rooms and was still sulking there an hour later when Gary came by.  
  
"Jon. you alright?"  
  
"I've been better," the prince grunted.  
  
"It's about this girl, isn't it."  
  
"What do you care? You seem bound and determined to pursue this girl and you've barely met her."  
  
Gary cocked one eye at Jon. "So who's Alanna?"  
  
Jon froze. "What did you say?"  
  
"I came looking for you after you chased Alan out of breakfast. I followed you back to your room and heard you screaming for Alanna. Is she related to Alan after all? Is this what this girl is hiding that you don't want to tell me?"  
  
Jon quietly replied, "Gary, please stop asking questions. I don't know if I can answer them. I would go ask Alan himself."  
  
Gary stared at Jon. "There's nothing you want to tell me?"  
  
"Go find Alan."  
  
  
  
Gary finally found Alanna in the stables, grooming moonlight.  
  
"Hey Gary!" she nervously greeted her friend.  
  
"Hey Alan. Who is Alanna?" 


End file.
